Goblin Attack Part 2

How much time had passed? Probably about an hour. Suddenly, I felt like there was another sound mixed in with the sound of rain. The discomfort gradually increased and it was getting closer.

Was it footsteps? There was a shrill sound mixed in along the way, an unpleasant sound like scratching glass. It was getting louder and closer.

Marie and Mom trembled harder. It seemed like everyone had noticed it. It wasn’t Father and the others. There was no signal. The sound moved towards the entrance and didn’t move from there. What could it be? What were they doing?

I had some ideas, but I didn’t want to believe that it was real.

A few minutes of silence, and when I thought it had gone somewhere,

BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM!

Something was pounding on the door. Small screams could be heard around me. While everyone trembled and covered their ears, I listened carefully. The sound could be heard for a few minutes, but it seemed like the door wasn’t being destroyed.

The sound stopped. But the footsteps started moving again. They moved to the side of the house and when they stopped again, there was a loud noise with an uncomfortable creaking sound.

A clattering sound.

It was definitely the sound of a window being smashed. Again, the sound of banging echoed. The sound of creaking mixed in along the way, and eventually, the most unwanted sound echoed. Clearly accompanied by the sound of wood being destroyed, something had entered the first floor.

There was no mistake. This was definitely a monster.

A goblin.

“Giiiigiiiggigigigiii!” A shrill scream.

It reached the second floor from the first floor, and our fear intensified. Everyone cried and trembled, huddled together. We shouldn’t make any noise, we just had to wait for the crisis to pass.

For a while, there were noises downstairs that sounded like something was rampaging. And then a change occurred.

THUMP.

THUMP. THUMP.

The sound of someone climbing up the stairs echoed. Gradually, its presence was getting closer. It climbed the stairs, walked down the hallway, and eventually stopped.

“Squeee, squeeeek.”

It was close. Fear tied my body. I couldn’t stop trembling, I just stared at the door.

Marie clung to me.

Mom hugged me to protect me.

Rose was crying while hugging Maron. She was also crying in fear.

The situation didn’t last long, and the thin door shook violently

“Hiiiiiiiiiiii…!”

A piercing scream rose up from someone.

It wasn’t fair to blame whoever made the sound in this situation. However, the creature outside heard it. The force pounding on the door grew stronger with every hit, causing the door to warp and splinter.

It was only a matter of time before it would be destroyed. We were helpless and could only hope that the door and the desk in front of it would hold. Unfortunately, our hopes were dashed when the top of the door broke apart with a loud noise, and something reached into the room.

It was green and wriggling, with sharp claws clearly meant to kill. A face peered through the gap. It was ugly and embodied pure terror. Its form was distorted and repulsive, with eyes that glared at us and a mouth that twisted into a grin.

“Gyeeehehehehe!” The goblin laughed with delight as it pounded on the door with frenzied strength.

“St… stop it!” Maron cried out in despair, her voice filled with fear and anguish. Her sobs and screams echoed around us, but no help came.

The top of the door had been nearly destroyed.

The goblin. It had entered.

Its bloated belly and hunched-over posture made it resemble a Japanese spirit, Gaki, more than a goblin. Its fingers ended in sharp claws, and its mouth was full of fangs. I knew that if it bit us, it would be all over.

The monster was right in front of us. The monster that I had wanted to study. At least, that’s what I had thought. But now, I couldn’t think of anything except my fear.

I despised my past self for wanting to study such a creature and underestimating such a terrifying presence. I used to think that monsters were no big deal, especially goblins, who were treated as mere fodder. I thought they were weak. But the goblin in front of us was the embodiment of despair.

We couldn’t fight it.

We were going to die.

Everyone knew it.

“Stop… Don’t come any closer!” Maron and Rose cried out, tears streaming down their faces.

But the goblin didn’t understand their pleas. Or maybe it did, because it chuckled in delight. It reveled in the feeling of power, of being the strong one, as it watched its prey beg for mercy.

There was no way out. We were trapped, with no hope of escape. The only option left was death.

That’s when Marie stood up suddenly, drawing her sword from its sheath and taking a defensive stance. She turned her back to the others, shielding them from the goblin.

But her shoulders shook uncontrollably, betraying her fear.

“I’ll… I’ll take care of this,” she stuttered, trying to be brave. It was a valiant effort, but we all knew it was futile. Against a creature like this, we didn’t stand a chance.

In a sudden, unexpected move, the goblin waved its hand and Marie’s sword flew out of her grasp, impaling itself into the wall.

“Wh-what…?” She exclaimed in disbelief. The goblin was supposed to be unintelligent, but it had shown incredible combat skills. It was smaller than Marie, but it was incredibly strong.

The goblin lifted its arm, ready to strike.

Marie froze, paralyzed with fear. But before anyone could react, something blocked our view. There was a loud sound, and then silence.

When I opened my eyes, I saw that Mother, were lying on the ground. Blood was everywhere, spilling out of deep wounds.

Mother had taken the brunt of the attack, sacrificing herself to protect Marie. She was safe, but her eyes were glazed over with shock and confusion.

As Marie tried to lift herself up, Mother struggled to move, her body trembling with pain.

“Ma-Marie… You’re not injured, right…?”

“I-I’m fine, M-Mom…”

“It’s okay. As long as you’re safe.”

There was no denying it. It was a serious situation. Blood was pouring.

I could feel the heat leaving my body. The thought of losing my mother made me feel sick with fear.

The goblin was walking towards us with an air of smugness, almost as if it was enjoying the situation.

My mother held Marie close to her, shielding her from the goblin’s advances.

It was useless. We were all going to die. My family, the people I loved, were going to be killed right in front of me. I couldn’t accept that.

I kicked the ground in a fit of rage.

Nobody could have predicted my actions. Nobody dared to speak a word. Not even the goblin.

The goblin didn’t expect me to attack. It thought I was just a child, helpless and unarmed. But it was wrong.

I could feel its eyes on me, its red eyes filled with malice. It had a grotesque face that made my stomach churn.

And then, the goblin laughed. Of course, it laughed. What could a child like me do to stop it? I knew I was powerless. But I couldn’t stand there and do nothing. I had to do something.

And then, I saw it. The faint glow that surrounded the goblin’s body. It was the release of magic.

Suddenly, my mind went blank and I began to recall everything I had learned about magic. Somehow, it all made sense. Everything I’d learned about magic was all coming together. I quickly came to a conclusion based on the nature and reaction of magic.

Without a second thought, I entered magic aura state and began to gather magic energy. As I touched the goblin, I could feel the energy building up in my right hand. The goblin extended its claws towards me, but it was too late.

The magic energy surged, growing stronger, and the goblin’s claws were just about to touch my eyes. And then…

“GYAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!”

The goblin screamed.

A putrid smell of burnt flesh filled the room. The goblin’s arm emitted steam as it burned to a crisp. The burns continued to spread, causing the arm to peel away.

Wherever my hand touched, the goblin’s body turned black, as if a virus was invading its system.

Although there was no actual fire, the goblin’s arm was seared and gradually fell to the ground.

The goblin thrashed around on the floor, writhing in pain. But it was still alive.

I had to kill it, or else everyone would die.

Without hesitation, I placed my right hand on the goblin’s head and released my magic once again. Steam rose from its head along with a putrid smell, and the goblin screamed in agony.

However, the screams didn’t last long. It only took ten seconds for the goblin to die and become motionless.

“Haa, haa…” I was struggling to catch my breath. I didn’t even have time to realize what I had done.

Those who possess magic can sense it. When you touch magic, you feel heat and sensation. With weak magic, it might feel warm, but what if the magic is stronger?

That’s what I was gambling on.

After a year of studying magic and training my magical abilities, it seemed that the magic I could unleash in one place had become quite strong.

It was just a hypothesis, an experiment. But it succeeded.

With my magic, I killed the goblin. If the goblin didn’t have magic, I wouldn’t have been able to defeat it, even if I gave it magic energy. The body needs to be able to respond to the magic from within.

Feeling sickened by what I had done, I stepped back from the goblin’s corpse.

The smell, and what I had done, made me want to vomit. It couldn’t be helped. But the fact that I had killed a humanoid creature filled me with disgust.

Maron and Rose looked at me strangely, and Marie stared at me with a look of surprise.

“Oh, Mom?!” cried Marie as she clutched onto her mother, who had fallen to the ground, as if protecting her.

“We can’t move her!” I exclaimed.

I quickly moved closer to Marie. She was in a state of confusion, but I needed to detach her from Mother. But, it was understandable that she couldn’t keep calm in a situation where her own parent was on the brink of death. I wondered why I was able to remain composed.

No, it was just fear. Despite being afraid, my adult self whispered to me to stay calm. If I didn’t, I could lose something important. That’s why I was able to defeat the goblin and remain calm now.

While I held onto the thrashing Marie, Rose rushed over to help me.

“Let go…”

“Please…”

“Mother! Mother!” cried Marie, as Rose carefully separated her from her mother.

Rose seemed relatively calm. Maron remained in shock, watching over the situation.

I checked on Mother’s condition. She was looking pale, and it was clear that she was losing a lot of blood. Her pulse was… still okay, but it wasn’t a guarantee of safety.

She had a laceration on her back that was still bleeding. I needed to stop the bleeding. It would be better not to move her too much, but treating her on the floor would worsen her condition. We needed to move her to a bed.

Marie was in a state of semi-madness. Rose held her tightly.

I was only seven years old and small. Maron was still in shock. It was impossible for me to move my mother on my own.

There shouldn’t be any more goblins. I couldn’t hear any noises.

“Someone! Come here and help us!” I shouted.

As I did, someone came out of another room. They rushed over when they saw what was happening and the dead goblin.

“What’s going on?” someone asked.

“We need to do something for my mother! Please, move her to a bed!”

With the help of the women, we were able to move her to the bed. Mother, who was always so kind and full of energy, now lay motionless. She’s still breathing, though. She’ll be okay.

“Does anyone know anything about medicine or pharmacology?!”

Everyone looked at each other. It’s a small village. No one had that kind of knowledge.

What should I do? It was clear that this was a dangerous situation. If no one could do anything, then I would have to do something.

I needed to calm down. If I thought carefully about what I needed to do, everything would be okay.

“Do we have anyone here who’s good at sewing?”

Several people raised their hands. I chose the person who was said to be the best among them and asked her to move to the bedside.

She was a young woman, probably around fifteen or sixteen years old. She looked like an ordinary girl with braided hair and freckles as her distinctive feature.

“Um, what are we going to do?” she asked.

“Just wait a moment. Could the others please go to my mother’s bedroom and bring back the sewing tools? And could someone bring some strong alcohol from the kitchen too? Also, please draw water from the well and boil it. And prepare some candles and clean cloth as much as possible! Each of us should take on a task and prepare for it!”

As soon as I spoke, everyone started to act without knowing the reason.

“The rest of you… Could you please take the goblin’s body out to the corridor? I know it’s unpleasant, but please do it. And when you’re done, please wait in the corridor. I’ll call you if I need anything,” I added.

Everyone followed my instructions. Since no one was taking charge, it seemed easier for them to move.

They moved out the goblin’s corpse smoothly than I expected. Maybe they’re used to it…

In the room, only Marie, Rose, myself, and the girl with braided hair remained. I moved closer to Marie and talked to her.

“Marie, we’re going to treat Mother now. So please calm down. If you don’t, she might not survive.”

“N-no… Mom’s not going to make it… No, no, no…”

“That’s why you need to calm down. If you get agitated, mother will be in danger. Do you understand?” I said as I held Marie’s hand and looked her straight in the eyes.

She nodded repeatedly.

“Alright. Could you watch over her here then? And do you have a short sword or something like that?”

“Y-yes, it’s over there,” the girl with braided hair said, pointing to the shelf. There was a palm-sized knife there. Scissors wouldn’t be helpful.

I went back to the bed and checked on my mother’s condition while talking to the girl with braided hair.

“What’s your name?”

“Lord, m-my name is Ria.”

“No need to be so polite. I’m younger than you. Just talk normally. I’m Theon.”

“Uh, yeah, okay. Theon.”

She seems nervous. This is not good; her role is quite important.

I cut my mother’s clothes with a knife, exposing a wound on her back. Blood flowed freely.

“Th-the wound is terrible…”

“But it doesn’t seem too deep. It stretches from the shoulder to the back. Do goblins have poison on their claws?” I asked.

“I-I don’t think so. I’ve never heard of that before.”

“That’s good. There’s nothing we can do about poison anyway.”

But leaving the wound alone is definitely dangerous. There are no hospitals in this world. Even a minor injury could be fatal. Even without poison, there’s a risk of infection.

I heard that even a simple cold was fatal for people in the past. I don’t think that’s likely, given that our lives are relatively comfortable, but I can’t let my guard down.

“I, I brought everything! Theon boy!”

The villagers have prepared everything I asked for. I asked one skilled woman to stay behind and instructed the others to wait outside in case there are other goblins around.

“Let’s get started.”

“Uh, what are we going to do?”

“Sewing up the wound. I’m going to stitch it up.”

“Wh-what?! Why would you do that?”

I see. They don’t seem to have heard of sutures or surgical procedures. Apparently, they faced a lot of criticism and persecution for such practices in the past. Well, it’s not like we’re going to be cutting into her body, so it should be fine. If we were using a scalpel, that would be a different story.

“If we don’t stitch up the wound, the bleeding won’t stop, and it’s dangerous to leave the wound open. So, we stitch it up and create a pseudo state of no injury. That way, the wound will heal faster and bleeding can be controlled. It’s also easier to prevent infection… Anyway, just follow my instructions, okay?”

I received questioning looks about how I know this information, but I quickly asserted myself. I’m starting to realize the gravity of what I’m doing, but that can wait. The most important thing right now is to save my mother.

“I don’t really understand, but… but I can’t let you hurt my lady.”

“Should I hurt her to save her, or leave her without help and let her die?”

I said the worst thing possible, but I’m desperate. My mother’s condition is worsening as we speak. I can’t do it alone. I don’t even know if I can sew her up properly. That’s why I’m asking her for help.

At my words, Ria hesitated, but then slowly nodded. “Okay, I understand. I’ll do it.”

“If anything goes wrong, it’s all my responsibility. Now, first…” I began to give her instructions.

It wasn’t a very complicated procedure since it was just a temporary fix. We just had to clean the blood with a clean cloth, disinfect it with alcohol, wash our hands thoroughly, heat the needle with fire, and sew up the wound. That was it.

But it was the first time we had done it, and the patient was the lord’s wife. Ria was probably quite nervous.

Nevertheless, she did it without much resistance, which was a relief. It was just a simple stitching job, and it was completed in just a few minutes. Once we stitched up the wound, the bleeding stopped.

It was a pretty neat job. Her sewing skills were impressive. It seemed that she had the courage to match her skills, which was surprising.

We were really saved.

After wrapping the wound in a bandage, we laid Mother flat on her back.

“Thank you. You saved her,” I said.

“Um, but is the lady going to be okay?”

“If Mother rests quietly, she’ll probably be fine. The bleeding was heavy, but I don’t think it’s fatal.”

It would be great if we could do a blood transfusion, but there’s no such thing in this world. There’s no technology to make syringes, and even if there were people who could make them, it would take time and money to make them. We didn’t have time to wait until such things were available.

Judging from my mother’s pulse and color, she was stable for now.

“Th-Theon. How’s Mom?” Marie asked.

“Mom’s going to be fine.”

“Really?”

“Yes. We need to keep an eye on her for a while, but she’ll recover.”

“U-uhh, ah, uwaaah! Theon… Mom… Mom…” She crumpled and clung to me. I patted her back repeatedly and reassured her that everything would be okay. I understood how she felt because I felt the same way too.

Before I knew it, I was crying too. All the emotions I had been holding back flooded out.

It was scary. Very scary. I was scared out of my mind, but then I felt relieved, and my body relaxed.

It was only a few dozen minutes later when my father and the others returned that I realized it was over.